The Son of the Sea
by j.Paynter
Summary: Percy Jackson is no one special. He is a half-blood forbidden to go to Camp because of a prophecy that may be about the end of the world. He is a son of the sea unable to go to Atlantis because of a jealous step-goddess. Percy Jackson is no one, until he is accidently kidnapped by half-bloods on a quest to save the world.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or the characters described in this fanfiction. They are a creation of Rick Riordan. What is written here is a pale imitation of his works.

The Outcast

Percy dreams of water. The smell of salt and brine, the gentle rock of waves consumes him. He also dreams of laughter, blue food and warm hugs. He dreams of his family all together and wakes alone.

The house at Montauk is on the beach far from anywhere. Sand creeps over the threshold and into the kitchen. The sea mist too, has seeped in under the door and the salt is sharp on his lips. The sound of waves outside makes the silence of the small house more profound. It is in these moments that he misses Tyson, a most recent loss, adding to the deep ache where his mother used to be.

Close upon this loneliness is frustration and envy. Tyson is permitted to work in the forges in father's kingdom. Percy is kept in Montauk to fight monsters. He knows why he isn't allowed to go. Amphitrite doesn't like him, Triton had said as much. But still, it hurt. He wonders, not for the first time since Tyson left, why now. For years Tyson had been his friend and brother, his presence keeping the monsters at bay. Now Percy is on his own with orders to stay away from other half-bloods least they realise who he is.

Percy sighed and readied for work. He'd dropped out of school as soon as he could, much to his teachers' pleasure, wincing at what his mother would have thought. But his father had provided him with a proper education. His home is filled with books (his teachers would have been shocked) they're just written in ancient Greek, is all. It is also filled with weaponry, sea shells and coral, and maps of the worlds' oceans. There is also a stable, though it has been a while since Arion and Blackjack visited.

The sun was just rising as he wandered over the sand towards the pier munching on some toast. He'd picked up the ticketing job at the theme park on the pier to distract from the mind numbing work on the docks. Before that he'd been a lifesaver but the money had been awful. He supposes the next inevitable step is onto a fishing trawler and into his father's domain but something is holding him back, tethered to land. Maybe it's the thought of his mother.

He also has a surfing race with his brothers this weekend. They're riding the dreadnaught again and Percy is keen to try a new technique he thought might work. He had been inches from beating Triton last week if it wasn't for Chios dropping in on his wave, nymphs.

He grunted to the other zombies as he entered the office on the pier. Sarah was reviving over a coffee and made a minute movement of her lips that could have been 'good morning'. Frank was snoring against the folding table. Good, reliable mortals.

He helped himself to some coffee and sorted out his timesheet, change and ticket reel for the day, 'accidentally' kicking the table so Frank woke with a start and a grunt.

"Good to see you're alive this morning," Percy grinned cheerfully at the bleary red eyes.

"Damn you Jackson, too cheery by half," Frank replied wiping dried saliva from his chin.

"Come on, another beautiful day spreading cheer to the kiddies." Sarah actually cringed but whether it was at his upbeat tone or the thought of the screaming kids he doesn't know.

"Kill them all," Frank grunted as poured coffee.

Percy smirked and whistled as he left the office, keys in hand. The mist was heavy out on the pier speaking of rough waves and Percy paused with the key in the lock. White foam bubbled against the pier and he could see breakers further out. He could sense a tension in the ocean – something unsettled.

"Melas," he whispered. The mist was so thick that the lights from the office looked like fog lights in the gloom.

Some of the mist condensed to form a slight figure that looked a lot like Percy, only more opaque. He also wore a similarly troubled expression.

"Something is wrong," Melas said his voice high and worried.

Percy took in his half-brother's expression and continued with unlocking the gate and walking up the pier throwing on lights. Melas walked beside him in the deceptive lope of a water nymph.

"Father has called battle stations," he said.

"Battle?" Percy's stomach dropped and the hair on his arms rose.

"Some darkness has come from the deep," Melas continued. "An ancient darkness."

There was silence as they both contemplated that thought. There was only one darkness that all sons of Poseidon feared; Kronus.

"Tyson sent you this," Melas said handing over a bronze wristwatch. "He's busy in the forges but he's worried about you."

The watch was beautifully crafted, as was to be expected from the Cyclops. There was a turn on the side not unlike a mortal watch to wind time but when Percy pressed it there was a clunk deep inside the watch and bronze plates whipped alarmingly from within to form a superb bronze shield. Percy smiled grimly, his baby brother was always looking out for him.

Twisting the shield so it was once again a watch he turned back to Melas. "Are you going to Atlantis?" He asked with just a trace of wistfulness. Melas understood though. Melas was the first of his brothers he had gotten thoroughly drunk with and had several deep and meaningful ramblings about fatherhood and gods.

"No," Melas looked back at the shoreline. "I'm to ready the home guard and prepare for final reinforcements."

Percy swallowed his worry. Father would be in the thick of it. So would Triton and Chios, knowing his brothers. And here Percy was, selling tickets.

"Take me with you, I can set up a triage," Percy said hopefully but Melas's expression darkened.

"Amphitrite is seating up the triages." Damn that goddess. Percy had never felt so helpless.

"Better keep the dreadnaught running then, the current will confuse any who aren't familiar with it and it'll give those on the southern entrance some extra speed," Percy said, because it was the only advice he could offer.

Melas grinned, looking not unlike Triton when the latter had a Great White in his sights during Shark Week. "Little brother," he said, his tone oozing with pride. "We'll turn you into a warrior yet."


	2. The Disobedient Son

The Disobedient Son

The mist had cleared but the sky hadn't when the first of the kids turned up. Over the years Percy had seen a few half-bloods. Some he had helped survive until a satyr had arrived for them. Others he had watched die. They all seemed so wide-eyed and naïve to him. But he supposed they grew up with their mortal parent, in the mortal world. They didn't see the monsters from birth.

He had his father's orders to avoid the satyrs and the older half-bloods. Poseidon had told him about the prophecy and the pact that he had made with his brothers, the pact he had broken by loving Sally Jackson. At first Percy thought it was shame, the reason his father hid him away; he was not just a bastard but a forbidden one. Later he realised it was for his protection, Zeus and Hades could not kill him to prevent the prophecy if they did not know he existed. Even after it had been revealed that all the brothers had broken the pact Poseidon kept him hidden, near him, near the sea. Percy never questioned what life could have been life if Sally had lived. It wasn't so bad. He had his family, dysfunctional though it was.

He was well into his shift when he spotted them. Half-bloods were always easy to spot; they fidgeted and shifted and generally looked suspicious while the mortals ignored them. These were easier than normal to spot – the girl with brown hair was wearing bronze armour, the tall boy had shoes with wings on them and the little girl with blonde curls was waving a knife. They leapt onto the pier and into the crowd trying to blend in with the mortals.

The mortals couldn't see exactly what they were but they could feel the intent and they started panicking. Percy sighed in frustration. This day just got better and better. No sooner had the thought escaped when he saw what was chasing them. An Erinyes, her large scaly wings dark against a grey sky and her red eyes blazing as she picked the half-bloods out from the crowd. She let out a hair-raising wail and dived towards her prey, a bronze studded scourge unfurled in her talon.

Percy didn't know what possessed him; maybe it was the frustration with his father's orders, maybe it was that while he was helpless in his father's battle he could do something here. Whatever it was, before he could think twice (Melas would be at him for thinking at all) he pressed the button.

The Erinyes was three metres from the blonde half-blood who had turned to face her with her knife when the Mad Mouse flew back along its tracks and collected the Fury mid dive. Despite his impulsiveness in revealing himself Percy thought the expressions on half-blood's faces may have been worth it.

He was on the move as soon as he'd pressed the button. The ride wouldn't stop the Erinyes, particularly Alecto, the Unceasing. He reached the blonde just as she was gathering her wits and grabbed her arm. She spun around knife raised but Percy was already dragging her along the pier unconcerned.

"Hurry up," he grunted as she resisted his tugs. "That won't stop her for long."

Her grey eyes widened but she started running in earnest. They veered around the popcorn stand and the tall boy, the armoured girl and a satyr were suddenly in their way. How had he missed the satyr?

"Annabeth!" the satyr cried with relief.

The tall boy took in Percy's grip on the blonde girl which he promptly dropped and attempted to look mortal and unthreatening.

"Who're you?" he asked with suspicion.

Any reply Percy would have said was drowned by the enraged Fury. Percy didn't stick around to find out what the group thought of him. He took off running towards the east exit.

"No, not that way," he heard someone call behind him. "Towards the boats."

"The boats," Percy muttered, fat chance of that in this weather.

He ducked as another wail rent the air and he felt the passing of something large overhead. The bronze tips of the scourge rent the boards an inch from his hand as the Erinyes passed. He rose to his knees as he watched her bank. Kids and parents were streaming towards the exit in panic. To his left he could see the vomitorium, closed for cleaning with its door gaping wide.

He rolled to his feet and sprinted to the door diving inside as suddenly two shadows converged on him – he felt talons scour his back as they passed but they couldn't stop in time and crashed together on the far wall. Two Erinyes – Alecto and Tisiphone – the latter must have dived at the last moment, he couldn't believe his luck.

"Sorry," he said grinning as he backed out the door and they turned their red eyes on him. "Hope you enjoy the ride." As they lurched towards him, more drunken on the ground than in the air, he slapped the door button and the vomitorium closed on their hissing faces. The blue lights blinked as the ride commenced but he could hear them screeching over the music.

"Oathbreaker!" Alecto screeched.

Percy turned laughing with exhilaration and started to jog. He didn't know where the half-bloods had gone until one cut across him two steps later, steering him towards the edge of the pier and a boat waiting with the two girls and the satyr. He realised that he must have been with him nearly the whole time.

He stopped at the pier as the older boy embarked. "No way," he said looking down at the four upraised faces. "No thanks, I've had enough fun for one day."

He started to walk away only to be stopped by the Erinyes' voice hissing from the vomitorium. "Percy Jackson," Tisiphone called, almost seductively. "Have you been breaking oaths again?"

Run.

He took several sprinting steps across the pier and a flying leap into the boat. He leaned across the dark haired girl and slammed the throttle down, crushing the boy's fingers in the process. The little boat kicked up a bow wave in protest and zoomed away from the pier.

He could feel the others staring at him as he steered the boat from the pier trying to avoid the peaks and troughs of an already upset ocean.

The older boy shook out his fingers and turned to the brunette. "Clarice, prepare some air defences for when they come again."

"They won't," Percy couldn't help from saying as the boat dived into a trough sending his stomach jumping with glee at the ride. The others didn't look to be enjoying it though, the satyr looked decidedly green already.

"What makes you think a theme park ride would stop a Fury?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't," Percy said. "But Erinyes are creatures of air and earth." They looked blankly at him. "This is the ocean," he explained as if they were children.

"How do you know so much about Furies?" Annabeth questioned. She was probably a daughter of Athena, she had that air of intelligent superiority about her. Triton would never let him forget if he had rescued a daughter of Athena.

"My step-mother sent one after me when I was ten," he replied. Tisiphone – he still had nightmares about it. The marks on his back a permanent reminder of her damn scourge.

"Your step-mother?" Clarice asked suspiciously.

"Who are you?" asked Annabeth.

Oh dear Tartarus, Percy cursed. Most people didn't have a goddess as a step-mother.

"Do you even know what an Erinyes does?" he asked them instead. "They hunt oathbreakers, sinners. I'm a bastard – the mere fact that I exist means that the Erinyes will hunt me." That seemed to have satisfied them or at least made it awkward enough that they wouldn't question it further. "I could ask what oath you broke to piss them off."

Annabel shifted and turned to look at the satyr. "They were sent to hinder our quest," she said formerly.

Gods above, these half-bloods and their quests. "Quest to where?" He asked tightly.

"That's not your problem," the older boy said quickly.

Percy gestured with the tiller, "I am steering the boat."

The older boy glared at him and without a word took his position at the throttle. Percy settled back quietly, as far from the satyr as possible in case the nausea got the better of him, and took to watching his companions.

The blonde was definitely a daughter of Athena. She was now muttering coordinates to the older boy who Percy was fairly sure was a son of Hermes given his footwear – but there was something in his manner that was off putting. Finally, the brunette sat hunched and watching him while she cleaned her bronze sword. Given her bulk and warrior attitude Percy would bet either a daughter of Hephaestus or Ares.

So here he was, firmly entrenched among not so oblivious half-bloods, the shore getting further and further away. Poseidon was going to kill him, if Zeus and Hades didn't beat him to it. How did he keep getting into these messes?


	3. The Kidnapped Half-Blood

The Kidnapped Half-Blood

"So, who are you?" Annabeth turned at Clarice's question. Their new companion was tall with dark curly hair and a deep brown tan. His eyes, she saw, were a dark green as he studied them.

"My name's Percy," his voice was a mild baritone and, as in the midst of the earlier battle, unfazed.

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"You're a half-blood," Clarice stated.

The boy raised his eyebrows. "As are you."

"What were you doing there?" Clarice continued.

"Working," he gestured at his ruined uniform, he still had his name tag clipped to his pocket.

Clarice was clearly frustrated with this interrogation. "Why aren't you at Camp?"

"Camping's not really my style," was the dry response. Clarice actually growled and gripped her sword tighter.

"Percy," Annabeth said. He turned those green eyes on her. "My name's Annabeth, this is Luke, and this is Clarice and Grover." His eyes took in each of them as she introduced them. "Thank you for your help on the pier." She said.

"Sure, no problem, any chance of getting dropped off anytime soon? I kinda need to get back to work," he said.

Annabeth exchanged looks with Luke. He, too, seemed perplexed with their new half-blood. But they needed to hurry or Thalia's tree would die and Camp would be vulnerable. "I'm sorry Percy, but we're not going back."

"Why on Hades would you want to?" Clarice asked bluntly.

Percy gave her a steady look. "I have to earn money to eat, or is that not a concern for half-breeds at Camp Half-Blood?"

"How are you still alive?" Clarice hissed angrily.

"Excuse me? Maybe you weren't paying attention back there when I _saved your lives_."

"Got in my way, more like it."

"Right, next time I'll just watch and eat popcorn."

"Next time you can-"

"Enough!" Luke interrupted them as Clarice seemed on the verge of skewering their savoir. "Look, I don't like it either but we're in the middle of a quest so we'll just have to finish it and then take you to Camp Half-Blood."

"I really just want to be dropped off up the coast," Percy said.

"You're coming with us," Luke said firmly.

"Isn't this kidnapping?" Percy enquired mildly. Luke ignored him.

Annabeth found it odd that Percy seemed to know so much about their kind but showed no interest in being among fellow half-bloods. How had he survived by himself for so long? Grover seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Why don't you want to go Camp Half-Blood?" Grover asked quietly. He looked a little less green as he focused on Percy.

"It's really not my thing," Percy repeated.

"But it's safer," Grover pointed out.

"Sure," Percy replied dryly. "Remind me who brought the monsters today?"

"Who's your parent?" Luke asked curiously.

Guarded green eyes darted their way. "Who're yours?"

Luke rolled his eyes and turned to her. "Where are we going?"

She unloaded the GPS from her bag and turned to Clarice who was still eyeing Percy. "What were the coordinates the Gray Sisters gave you for the Sea of Monsters?"

"Whoa, what!" Percy suddenly straightened and turned wide eyes on her. His whole body had tensed and he suddenly seemed much more dangerous than the languid teenager he had been portraying.

"We are on a quest to save Camp Half-Blood," Annabeth told him, because it was logical that as one of their company he would need to know where they were going. "Thalia's tree was poisoned so we need to reclaim the Golden Fleece from the Cyclops Polyphemus."

"O-kay," Percy said slowly. "I would really like to get off the crazy boat now."

The island of Polyphemus, were all half-bloods nuts? Percy thought. He had been dismissed as unhelpful and uncooperative. He watched the others as he sat leaning over the side of the boat, his hand trailing in the water. It was still unsettled and he worried for his family fighting against the darkness somewhere below. His father was not going to be pleased that he had, in essence, managed to get himself kidnapped by some baby half-bloods.

Suddenly the churning stopped. Everything stopped. For one horrible moment Percy thought he was having a heart attack. He had lived his entire life with the ocean running through his veins that its absence was shattering.

"No, stop!" he cried leaping up and jumping to the back of the boat. He would have carried on over into the ocean if Luke hadn't grabbed him around the waist.

"No, take me back," he shouted and didn't care that his voice hitched. Luke didn't let go though. The blonde, Annabeth was softly enquiring what the matter was and he could hear Clarice cursing. He just felt numb. His father, his brothers…they were gone.

He sat in silence, alone, for he knew not how long. The others had left him when they couldn't get any sense from him but he could feel them watching him. They were in the Sea of Monsters. That was the only thing that made sense to Percy. His father had no power here.

After a while he realised the satyr was sitting beside him, talking quietly about his girl Juniper, a tree nymph apparently. It was quite soothing and Percy meant to thank him once he got some feeling back. Except…where had that mist come from, and were those rocks? They looked, strange, almost triangular, almost like…. The little boat darted forwards taken swiftly by the sudden current.

"Err…" Percy began but Clarice had seen it too.

"Finally," she said with a grin, showing her teeth.

"Clarice," Luke said tightly "we don't have time for this."

"What?" Clarice was unfolding her bronze spears. "I came on this quest looking for battles and now we finally have one."

"Chyros," the satyr muttered gloomily. "I don't think those are going to make much difference."

He was proved correct when Clarice's spears, flung true, rebounded off the tough hide of the water monster.

Luke was busily battling the boat and the current and Annabeth was attempting to navigate the whitewash so Percy felt placidly comfortable to sit beside the satyr and watch Clarice's failed attempts at skewering Chyros. It was by the barest of instincts that, as the shadow closed over him, he lurched sideways into Grover and avoided being beheaded as one of hydras gaping maws closed with a snap on where they had been sitting. Grover let out a bleating shout and backpedalled fast. Percy's hand closed on an oar and he found himself fending off another hydra head like a lion tamer.

During one swipe he glanced to the left and found Grover in a similar motion with the other oar. Clarice was fending off the stern from a Hydra with her spear and Luke was lashing about with a sword in one hand and the tiller in the other. Amongst all this chaos Annabeth seemed to be keeping her head, she had dived into the bow of the boat and was rooting through a backpack. At last she emerged with a thermos in her hands and quickly unscrewed the cap. A howling wind erupted from the thermos and before Percy could claim a handhold on the boat they were already several leagues from the monsters.

No one talked to Clarice until they reached the island.


	4. The Cyclops' Bait

The Cyclops' Bait

It was dusk by the time they touched sand. Grover set his hooves on the ground, sighed contentedly and then stiffened looking up at the abandoned theme park.

"Oh, it's definitely here," he said confidently.

Great, Percy thought, he'd had enough of theme parks for the day. He stood idly by as the others loaded up with their gear then trailed behind as the satyr led the way.

The rides cast large shadows and the place echoed as they walked – the perfect setting, Percy thought wryly, if one wanted to be hunting a Cyclops. He reached into his pockets and curled his hand around Riptide for comfort.

Grover led them unerringly to the haunted house which sat, dilapidated, against the rise of the mountain.

"He's in there?" Luke asked Grover.

"That's where the fleece is," replied Grover. "And it stinks like Cyclops."

"Cheerful," Percy commented. They ignored him.

"Annabeth and I can circle around behind while you and Grover go in the front," Clarisse suggested.

"I'll just wait here, shall I?" Percy asked.

"I don't think there's an entrance back there," Annabeth said, ignoring him.

"…roast a few marshmallows…" he continued.

"C'mon Annabeth, show a little backbone," Clarisse challenged. "If there's no entrance, we'll make one."

"…sing a few -," Percy cut himself off when he felt a murmur in the ground and glanced around to see if the others had felt it. Grover was looking worriedly at the haunted house and Annabeth, Luke and Clarisse were in each other's faces strategising, aggressively.

"Errr, guys…"

The ground suddenly gave way and they were all falling. Percy stopped with a jerk on something hard and metal. Dust was in his eyes and his back hurt where something hard was digging into his shoulder. He startled as something grabbed a hold of him and he refrained from whacking Annabeth over the head with Riptide, barely, when she clawed her way towards him through the rubble.

"Fresh meat!" a deep voice bellowed gleefully somewhere close.

Percy peaked over the edge and into the cavern below. Annabeth's curls brushed his cheek as she did the same beside him. They must have landed on the tracks of the ride, he realised. Luke had taken to wing with his fancy footwear but Grover and Clarisse had landed in the Cyclops lair, practically at the monster's feet.

The Cyclops chuckled gleefully and picked them up, one in each fist. Grover looked dazed but Clarisse looked pissed. Percy couldn't hear what she was saying. He could, however, see the golden fleece cast tastefully over the Cyclops' shoulder. By Annabeth's sudden indrawn breath, he guessed she'd seen it too.

Crouching back from the edge she began stealthily picking her way down the tracks. As she went she removed a baseball cap from her pocket and placed it on her head. Promptly she disappeared. As gifts went, it was a neat trick, even if the cap had been a Yankees one.

Crawling forward to follow her he stepped on something. It was one of Clarisse's fold-up bronze spears which he pocketed, just in case. They were pretty good spears.

Luke was circling, somewhat ungracefully, over the Cyclops as Percy dropped into the cavern slightly behind where he thought Annabeth might be. This was confirmed when Annabeth briefly appeared to give Luke a signal then disappeared again.

Suddenly the Cyclops howled as Clarisse sank her teeth into his digit. Percy gave her kudos for that. Even this close the stink was unbearable. Luke dived downwards and snatched the fleece from the monster. He wasn't quite quick enough in escaping, as the Cyclops showed surprising speed in dropping Clarisse and snatching at Luke.

Losing altitude Luke flung the fleece into space where it was promptly snagged by an invisible person. The Cyclops roared and swivelled to lunge at Annabeth. Feeling sorry for poor Grover, still crushed in Polyphemus' grip Percy struck out with Clarisse's spear as the Cyclops tore past him. The spear caught the monster in the deltoid and he automatically dropped the satyr and with a roar turned on Percy.

It caught him a glancing blow as he ducked and sent him sprawling. Percy came up breathing heavily and spitting dirt to watch as the other half-bloods distracted the monster by playing what seemed to be a game of piggy-in-the-middle with a Cyclops. He was musing on the ratings for this kind of game on Hephaestus TV when Grover reached him.

The satyr was grinning bizarrely in the gloom.

"What?" Percy asked.

"See that?" Grover said gesturing at the main column in the cavern. Rocks were crumbling from above and they could both hear the strain in the stone from where they were.

"Get the others," Percy gritted out as he pushed himself up. The satyr bounded away with a whoop.

Close up the column seemed even more strained. Percy wasn't worried, his father was ground-mover, earth-shaker, after all. It was a part of him he didn't often tap into and it took a while to steady his rapid pulse and breath deep. He could feel the tenuous support of the column the growing cobweb of cracks and the narrowing point of integrity. He frowned as a whisper of murkiness drifted into his senses – a doorway to Hades was not far off. It made sense, there would have been a lot of desperate souls dying, down in this hideous lair.

Clarisse gave a shout which turned his attention back to the fight. She had tripped and flung the fleece to Grover who in turn heaved it at him. He caught it and unfurled it, waving the fleece like a flag to a bull.

"C'mon Poly, come and get it."

Over the Cyclops' charging form he could see Grover explaining the plan. Luke took to the sky and the girls were scuttling towards the tunnel they had seen earlier. At the last moment Percy relaxed, crouched, tensed and flipped. He used one hand on the monster's back to gain more momentum as he twisted away landing slightly off-balance a good distance behind the Cyclops. He didn't stick around to see him crash into the pillar, although he heard it, and was already dodging falling rocks as the entire cavern collapsed inwards.

He made it, only slightly bruised, into the tunnel where he found the girls waiting for him.

"Anyone for a fleece?" he asked cheekily. Clarisse scowled but Annabeth smiled, shaking her head and took the fleece from him.

"Come on, Luke will meet us at the surface."

They stumbled up the tunnel, tripping over exposed roots and the uneven floor and sweating in the dank underground. As they felt a rush of fresh wind on their faces Percy felt a looming cold on his left. The girls started jogging, eager to exit the tunnel but he turned to look at the crack in shadow which showed the entrance to the Underworld. The darkness danced and entranced him drawing him in.

Grover's hand on his shoulder brought him back. The satyr was suspicious, he could tell. He would have to try to ditch them soon and find a way back to Montauk to get his stuff, then… He gave Grover a tired grin, the satyr relaxed and returned it as they exited the tunnel.

Percy glanced back over his shoulder at the portal to Hades. There was something disquieting in the air, not just tied to this place. The dread that his brother had instilled in that morning was growing and he didn't yet know why.


	5. The Good Soldier

The Good Soldier

The girls hadn't gone far and, when they joined them, Percy saw that they had company. A half dozen other half-bloods had encamped on the beach. Luke was among them. Clarisse and Annabeth seemed worried though.

"Selena, what are you doing here?" Clarisse asked a tall willowy blonde.

"Give me the fleece, Annabeth," Luke said stepping forward and clearly drawing lines between them.

"Luke?" Annabeth asked uncertainly.

"Give me the fleece." The other half-bloods had their weapons drawn.

"We need it to save Thalia, Luke, what's going on?" Annabeth questioned, confused.

"I just need to…borrow it, Annabeth. The fleece will reawaken something very important to me." He turned to look at an elaborate chest that had been unveiled on the beach. Percy felt dread settle in his stomach. The darkness…it couldn't be…

"What are you talking about? Luke?"

Clarisse charged forward and was immediately seized by a few burly half-bloods.

"Luke?" Annabeth was in his face but the taller half-blood merely shoved her backwards and took the fleece from her. He turned his eyes on Percy who stood watching.

"And what do you think, Percy? Do you think we should honour our parents who send us on these pointless quests for their entertainment, who make us do their dirty work, or should we make them pay for it?"

"I think I just want to go home," Percy said evenly. His hand flexed around Riptide in his pocket, it too could feel the darkness nearby.

"Huh," Luke smiled wryly and handed the fleece to the girl called Selena. "That's your problem, that's everyone's problem. They can't see the damage that the gods are doing. Well I can."

"What the Hades is wrong with you?" Clarisse shouted and struggled. Luke turned to her and Percy seized his chance.

Riptide was out and flowing quicksilver before anyone realised. It took two rapid strokes, one at the right arm of the burliest half-blood holding Clarisse and the other through Selena's chest. Her mouth opened in surprise but Percy wasn't going to wait for forgiveness. He snatched the fleece and took off in a spray of sand back towards the tunnel.

He entered the mouth as he felt Clarisse, Annabeth and Grover bound in behind him.

"What in the gods – you killed her!" Annabeth shrieked.

Clarisse was fronting to hold off the half-bloods with a broken spear. "Whatever the Hades you're doing, do it faster."

Percy stabbed Riptide into the crack in the wall, dug into the deep part of him and pulled. The portal gave with an ominous rumbling.

"Oh no," Grover moaned. "Do you know what happened to Orpheus when he went in there?"

"Yeah," Percy replied shoving the satyr in who dragged Annabeth down as well. "So don't look back."

He followed Clarisse closely as she hurriedly slipped through the crack and the portal shut with a snap.

They found themselves gasping loudly in the darkness. It took a while to adjust and Percy realised a faint glimmer was coming from the fleece. It was enough to see each others' faces and to light the path ahead.

"What…you…you killed Selena!" Annabeth gasped looking at him in shock. To be honest, he could feel the shock of his actions creeping up on him too. His eyes darted away from the accusing blonde and tried to discern a path in the gloom.

"She was not going to do good things with that fleece," he said bluntly and began walking.

"So? You just killed her for it?" She was worse than a harpy. He really did not want to think about it. That damned fleece. He scrunched it in his left fist and held it out like a torch, his other hand clasped Riptide's hilt firmly.

"Nice sword," Clarisse commented snidely but fell silent at what he assumed was a look from Annabeth.

"What were they even doing there?" Annabeth questioned.

"Is anyone else worried that we just entered Hades?" Grover questioned.

"It's not like we're going to the Fields of Punishment," Percy explained. "We're just going to…skirt it a bit."

"…"

"Think of it as a shortcut," Percy said.

"Fairly extreme shortcut," a voice said from the gloom. They all spun to look at a figure encased in shadow. He was short with dark hair and pale skin. "Oh look," he said, "visitors."

"Nico," Annabeth whispered quietly. Percy felt Grover and Clarisse shift closer to the blonde at her identification. He didn't really know who this kid was to them, but father had told him how Hades had hidden a son and a daughter from the world for years. If he took a guess, he'd say this was his cousin.

"Nico, please, we need your help," Annabeth said looking earnestly at the kid. He scoffed, carelessly flipping his hand at her.

"Like you helped me and Bianca?"

"Bianca and I," Percy corrected automatically. They all turned to look at him. "Sorry. Look, I don't know any Bianca or what happened which clearly caused some issues – but I do know we have a few pissed-off half-bloods on our arses and no exit plan. So can you help us?"

"Why?" This was the reason Percy never hung out with extended family.

"Because we'll all be in trouble if they raise Kronos."

They all looked at him again; Annabeth, Clarisse and Grover in dawning realisation.

"Kronos," Nico repeated sceptically.

"It wasn't sunshine and party tricks in that box. Look, are you going to help us or are we going to have to save the world on our own?" Okay, maybe he was talking it up more than necessary, but he saw that he had intrigued his younger cousin.

"All right," the young half-blood said grudgingly. "This way, and step quietly cause if dad hears us…" Percy didn't need him to elaborate, he could relate.

The half-blood puzzled him. In all of his time in his line of work he had never met one so well-adjusted to the rigours of a mystical life, especially one that had been on their own. Luke had been the oldest living half-blood he had ever met and he had had his demons, which had clearly been evident on that beach.

Percy, though, at first Grover had taken him to be another son of Hermes, he had that shifty look of someone hiding the truth. But now…the way he had moved and taken action, not just on the beach but before with the Cyclops. He had been confident in his abilities. What those abilities were…For a moment in the cavern he had sensed, something, and again in the tunnel.

There was also the fact of his knowledge. The half-blood knew too much about their world for one who did not live in it. Then again, a lone half-blood would be a prime target for monsters. But how was it he had not been killed?

The sword was also niggling at him. He couldn't see it clearly in the gloom, but before on the beach it had almost looked like…Anaklusmos, and, if that was true, it meant only one thing.

He looked forward to where Percy was walking beside Nico. They both moved with the same grace and power, both sons of the greater gods.

Percy found himself walking beside his young cousin and couldn't help giving him the once-over.

"So, Nico," he said slowly. "I'm Percy." His response was a slight rise of dark eyebrows. "Son of Hades, that's pretty cool."

"Yeah," the kid breathed out. "Could do without the step-mother, though."

"Tell me about it," Percy said in agreement.

Nico sent him a sideways look. "Mine turned me into a daffodil…for three months."

Percy tugged the back of his shirt up to show a glimpse of his scars. "Mine sent an Erinyes after me."

"Yeah right," the kid scoffed. Percy raised his eyebrows right back at him. "Huh."

"So," Percy said after a while. "They friends of yours?"

"We had a falling out which led me to being cast out of Camp," he explained bitingly.

Annabeth looked like she was going to launch into her justification but Percy slipped in before she could get a word out. "Wasn't really what I was talking about." The kid gave him a wry glance.

"Sort of, they're my teachers."

"That's pretty neat," Percy mused.

"I suppose," Nico was playing it cool but Percy could see the excitement bubbling underneath.

"What in the gods are you talking about?" Clarisse demanded. Grover put a quivering hand on her arm and directed her attention to the ghostly figures following them.

She cursed and swung her spear around at their spiritual vanguard.

"It's all right, they've been with us for hours," Nico explained gleefully.

"Get us out of here," Clarisse demanded between clenched teeth.

"Fine," Nico said. "There's the exit."

They climbed gingerly to where Nico gestured then fell ungracefully through oblivion. Percy found himself face down in wet sand, the smell of brine and the sound of waves like a welcoming hug. He smiled into the sand and rose to his knees.


	6. The Son of Posdeidon

The Son of Poseidon

Night had truly fallen but a full moon glowed across the ocean.

"Ta da," Nico presented the landscape with a flourish. "Happy?"

Clarisse looked mutinous but Percy draped the fleece over his shoulder and breathed the sea air deeply.

"Where are we?" Grover asked looking around.

"We have to get back to Camp," Annabeth stated, diving into her bag. "They have to be warned about Luke."

"What about Luke?" Luke queried stepping out of the darkness with his flunkies.

"Are you kidding me?" Clarisse demanded, preparing to defend herself.

"I'll be wanting that fleece now, Percy." Luke said calmly turning his eerie eyes on him. Percy tapped his watch, opening his shield and flexed his hand holding Riptide.

"Come and get it, then."

Luke didn't advance himself. A burly dark-haired boy swung an axe at him, while a whippier girl struck low with a knife. He caught the axe hard on the shield using the force to spin around the girl who had gotten in under his guard. She managed to slice across his shield arm but he was able to crack Riptide's hilt against her temple and she collapsed.

The axe-wielding thug kicked out at his leg, forcing him back to save his kneecap. Percy could feel the sea at his back and continued backing up. Seriously, he thought as he caught another swing on his shield, this guy was twice his size and surely on something. The next swing caught Riptide and ripped her from his clasp. He felt the next blow rattle his bones but he also felt the ebb of water at his ankles. With a sharp feint he crashed the shield into the thug's face and sent him to the sand with a bloody nose and a broken jaw.

Lowering the shield Percy was neatly blindsided by a blow to the face which sent him spinning into the whitewash.

"C'mon Percy," Luke said condescendingly. "Give it up."

"Luke!" Annabeth begged from behind him. Her hair was a mess and she sported a cut to her cheek. Clarisse and Grover had been driven into the ocean and were fighting back to back. Nico was hanging with his feet off the ground in the clutches of another half-blood who had a knife to the kid's throat.

"Please, don't do this," she pleaded, "this isn't you."

Percy could feel the strength of the sea surging around him, Riptide had returned to his pocket. Rising to his knees he spat out a mouthful of water and blood, igniting Riptide as he went. His hand shook as he took in Luke standing before him.

"No, it isn't," he said, surprisingly calmly. "How long have you been in there, Kronos?"

The man chuckled. He turned to look closely at Percy, kneeling in the surf.

"Very good Percy, I must say I'm impressed. I wonder who your father is?"

"What?" Percy said climbing to his feet, the water surging around him, roiling and churning like the pit of his stomach. "Don't you recognise me, grandfather?"

Liquid fingers snatched the half-bloods attacking Clarisse and Grover from their feet, dragging them into the depths with a shocking suddenness of cut-off screams. A whirlpool surged around Percy causing Luke to step back and stare in wonder.

"Yo Percy!" Percy looked up at the shouts and grinned, seeing Blackjack swooping towards him. "They're on their way."

"Here," he flung the fleece to his friend who caught it in his teeth. "Get it out of here." The black Pegasus was just a blur in the night no sooner the words were out of his mouth.

"No!" Kronos screamed turning towards the smudge in the dark sky. Percy flung his might at the half-blood and encased Luke in a wall of water. It was surprisingly tiring which was why he was so slow to raise his shield when Luke came out of the water fighting.

He swung under the uppercut and twisted into deeper water, revelling in the power and flow as it surged through him into the fluidity of his movements. He could hear his father's voice in his head. "Feel the flow, sink into it, and you will see the world in motion."

He could see it now, he could see the bunch of Luke's muscles as he tensed to thrust his sword, he could see the shift in weight that meant he would turn to his right and was able to parry the attack before it happened. He could also feel the jaggedness in what should have been a smooth fight. He knew he was fast. Kronos was faster, and much more skilled. But there were pauses, hesitations in cuts that could have killed him. It wasn't just Percy fighting Kronos. Luke was fighting too.

Didn't that just suck? Killing Kronos was a no-brainer. But killing Luke, especially as he was helping him, that was just…cold. He didn't know if he could do it.

As he was puzzling this he was too slow on a parry and Kronos managed to cut deep into his sword arm. He jerked back with a cry of pain, covering the wound.

"Finally," Kronos rasped. "That Tartarus ridden prophecy will be over." He raised his sword and Percy tackled him into the water, kicking deep and drawing on the dreadnaught.

The current was voracious and churning, sucking them both into the vortex. Kronos fought, kicked and bit trying to get loose but Percy held tight. Despite this, Kronos was almost loose when he suddenly went slack in his arms. Percy's eyes darted to his face and he saw Luke watching him.

"Tell Annabeth…sorry," Luke said breathing bubbles. Then with a determined look and before he could stop him Luke opened his mouth and gasped in a mouthful of water.

Percy released him in shock as Luke spasmed, the current quickly seizing him and dragging him into the deep. Percy blinked, horrified at the sudden about-turn of events, as he slowly surfaced. The sea buffeted and soothed him and he found himself sitting in the shallows of the beach with no discernible memory as to how he had gotten there.

Annabeth splashed towards him. "Where's Luke?" she demanded fiercely.

"He…he killed himself," Percy couldn't believe it.

"What?!"

"He defeated Kronos," he said. "But to do it, he killed himself. He…he said he was sorry, Annabeth."

She gave a deep sob and turned away from him. Grover slung an arm around her waist and even Clarisse provided a shoulder as they mourned their friend.

Nico splashed down to sit beside him, there was a small cut on his neck and he had his hand on the back of a large, black beast.

"A hellhound, huh?" Percy said without looking at him. He could see the kid grinning out of the corner of his eye.

"They didn't realise how…ghostly…I could be."

The waves were starting to crash a bit more forcefully as something swirled further out to sea.

"So," Nico started. "Son of Poseidon, that's pretty cool."

"Perseus!" He was tackled forcefully backwards and hit the wet sound with an audible groan. "Percy!" Triton's nose was altogether too close to his face when he opened his eyes. "Melas, he's hurt."

Triton's nose was replaced with Melas' forehead as the nymph leant over his side to look at Percy's arm. "Get him deeper in the water," he said urgently.

He was jerked upwards sending all the blood draining suddenly to his feet. "Percy! Don't die!" Tyson wailed in his ear, deafening him as the Cyclops gathered him in a rib-crushing hug that had his feet hanging in the air.

"The only thing killing him is you, Tyson." Chios said dryly, slipping his nimble fingers in-between them and prising Percy loose. With Triton under one arm and Melas under the other the brothers sank into the water, Triton's tail keeping them easily afloat.

"So," Triton mused. "When we said stay ashore, keep out of trouble…what did you think we meant?"

"Hey," Chios splashed in behind them ruffling Percy's hair. "How badass is our little brother? Taking on Kronos all by himself? Bet you couldn't do that, Triton?"

Triton stiffened under his arm. "I was battling legions of monsters from Tartarus while you were reading, Chios."

"I was strategising, Triton, gods forbid you ever think before you act."

"Sure, I was acting, saving Atlantis while you made a mess in the library."

"This may be hard for you to grasp, but there're more fish in the army than you to command."

"Did you call me a fish?"

"That's right, Ariel, I called you a fish, what are you going to do about it?"

Melas turned to Percy as Triton dropped his arm and tackled Chios. "So, Percy, kidnapped by baby half-bloods, dragged on a quest for Camp Half-Blood, fighting Kronos and fulfilling an ancient prophecy?"

"It's been a busy few days," he said tiredly.

"I can't wait to see how dad reacts."

Percy could. "That's not all," he said softly, closing his eyes.

"No?" he felt Melas turn to look at him.

"The blonde – she's a daughter of Athena."

The salt wind carried Melas' laughter over the suddenly calm water and Percy smiled happily as he drifted to sleep.


End file.
